Meet Me in Arendelle
by Icemera
Summary: (AU) When the Ernolynthian drug lord was killed, his underworld empire dissolved in violent clashes, forcing his only daughter to flee the country. She needed to marry for Arendelle citizenship, and it just happened to be the party-loving, notorious daughter of the President of Arendelle. (Elsanna/Icest).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I need my World Cup fix.

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**Meet Me in Arendelle**

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**Chapter 1**

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_Elsa._ The name rolled off Anna's tongue like nasty bile. It sounded rude, irritable and callous. It destroyed her morning, and probably the rest of the day. Or, the year.

Anna was sitting at one of the white tables in the grand backyard of the Wilhelm Mansion. She had just had her morning swim, and was now warmed in a white bathrobe. Her hair was tied up into a messy twist with a few strands of dampened red hair falling to the side of her pretty face. She tilted her head down just slightly, letting her sunglasses to slide down her straight, cute little nose. Vibrant, green eyes were wide as she spoke the name again as if in trance. "Elsa Vandenburg?" _Who the hell is that?_

"She's a Vandenburg, but her birth name is Elisabeth Pereira. Oh, how I've always found that last name crude. But, anyway, it's all in the past now. She's been in troubles ever since her father's death, and she needs at least a permanent residency here in Arendelle. Here is where you come in. I would like you to be the one." That was her mother. Margaret Wilhelmsen, First Lady of Arendelle. In her white, fashionable, lady suit, she had her platinum blonde hair pulled up into a neat bun. Her snow-white skin was rendered in sharp contrast with her thick, black eyelashes, arch brows, high cheekbones and the pair of thin lips that wore Chanel's Rose Tea shade of lipstick.

_Nah, looks like Coral Sun to me._ Anna debated which shade her mother was actually wearing.

"You look beautiful today, Mrs. Wilhelmsen." That was Joan, Anna's best friend, and an out, virgin lesbian. She let everyone know. She was an attractive, young woman in her mid-twenties with beautiful, long blonde hair, always wearing a crown of flowers.

"And you look wonderfully bohemian, Joan. I love your artsy dress." Margaret winked as she sipped her hot coffee.

Anna snapped away from the thought of her mother's makeup, and her face screwed up in protest once again. "But, mother, no. I will not marry someone I don't even know! What's her name again? Martha? Bella?"

The First Lady uncharacteristically rolled her eyes in annoyance. "What's the matter now? You could kiss anyone at the parties before you even knew their name."

"M—mother!" Anna looked exasperated, her face reddened. "I—I—you have no rights to judge me—"

"I am not judging you, my sweet Anna. We all go through that phrase in life. It's understandable. But aren't you tired of all this waking up and not remembering who you were kissing the night before?"

Anna's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what was coming out of her mother's mouth. She hadn't exactly tried to hide her party lifestyle from her family as everything she did make headlines anyway. Of course, she was wild, young and beautiful, and coming from the Wilhelmsen family felt like a royalty in Arendelle in a way. But, to hear it straight from her mother still shocked her. "I—I did not kiss everyone I saw, ok!? I have my—err—c—certain standards!"

The First Lady darkly glanced at her daughter. "Your evil ex from the conservative party surely met your _certain_ standards."

_OMG._ Anna felt blood shooting up to her head. The scandal was, well, scandalous, and it almost cost her father's the opportunity to represent his party for the election a year after. "Will you stop talking about Hans? That was like five—six years ago! I was in high school. I was stupid, horny and just… horny. But I'm twenty-three now! I am my own person!"

"Time doesn't always help, does it?" Margaret hummed, and Joan chuckled in agreement. "Oh, Anna, I've found you the perfect person to settle with. You should be happy that she's a Vandenburg by blood. Everyone loves a Vandenburg. Ask your father." The First Lady flashed her politically correct smile at her daughter, and Anna fought the urge to slap it away.

Her mother had always had an obsession with her own family legacy. Yes, the Vandenburg was one of the biggest and oldest clan in history of Arendelle, and one should be proud to be a member of it. Her mother always reprimanded her, telling her that she needed to work twice harder because she was only a half Vandenburg. Anna still couldn't decide if she had gotten even half of Vandenburg as she had gotten all the facial complexions, skin tone and eye color from her father, a Wilhelmsen—'new money' as her mother referred to it.

Anna rose to her feet, her face flushed. She just had had enough. "I will not cower to your will. Not this time. This—this is i—i—in—in—" _Speak like a normal person, Anna._ She took a deep breath and burst out. "Inconceivable! This is ridiculously absurd! This is twenty-first century, and I will not resort to some arranged marriage like some old lady who can't find love on her own. Let alone marrying my own cousin! Whom I have never even met! Or, had heard her name before today! And she's a woman, too! Mother! You are gross!"

Silence filled the garden. The maids froze from whatever tasks they were doing. Birds stopped chirping. Joan stared up at Anna, unblinking, sitting absolutely still like a painting. And, Anna halted. _This is bad. Joan isn't blinking, so it's bad. _What was worse was that Anna had expected her mother to lash out at her, but there was only a sharp stare from the narrowed, blue eyes, the shade as cold as Arendelle's fierce winter itself.

Margaret calmly rose from her chair, and adjusted her suit jacket. She flicked her wrist, signaling for the maid to inform the chauffer that she would be leaving soon. When the maid walked off to carry the order, the First Lady turned to Anna once more. The redhead was chained to her spot, unsure where to direct her eyes at.

"I've spent the past four years trying to find Elsa in that barbaric land of drug, weapon, and human trafficking. I can't let a Vandenburg living in places like that, can I?"

Before Anna knew, her head did the work of a nod of obedience.

"She is flying to Arendelle tomorrow, and you will pick her up at West Manadelsa. ARA 503. 7:25 A.M. Do not be late. Her tourist visa will expire in six months before she has to leave the country again. You have until then to make peace with yourself. Make the affair believable. Make it neat. You do not want to ruin your family's name again."

When Margaret Wilhelmsen wanted something, she would get it. Always. "Does dad know?" Anna found her own voice small.

"He has nothing to say about this." Margaret arched her brows higher. "You will embrace and honor her as I do not trust anyone else's name to taint this girl anymore. Make her a Wilhelmsen. That's an order." The First Lady then turned and stalked away across the yard.

When her mother was out of sight, and with the distant sound of a limo's door closing, Anna flopped back down on her chair again, staring out at the swimming pool. "Is this really happening to me? Oh, God, no." She took her shades off and tossed them onto the table. She buried her face in both palms, groaning incoherent words.

"Chill out. It might not be as bad as you think." Joan shrugged. "She was right. You've been groping ten thousand men for the past six years, and you haven't found the one yet. This could be it."

"Jesus, Joan! I'm twenty-three! I'm not looking for _the_ one! I just wanna have fun! And, t—t—this woman is my cousin, practically a sister! What choices could be worse than this!?"

Joan sipped her coffee. "It's ok, Anna. Incest is trendy. Nobody will mock you."

"Eeeeew!" Anna made a face as she fumbled for a cigarette from Joan's pack of Gauloises. "You're unbelievable sometimes. You just agree with everything my mother says."

"She has a point. Your cousin needs help." Joan eyed the newly lit cigarette, and commented over her cup. "I thought you quitted."

"Yeah, last year." Anna dragged a long puff. _Oooooh, so good._ She sat back again with a renewed sense of relaxation. Then she frowned, and turned to her friend. "What's her name again?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Lol. Thanks, guys._

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**Chapter 2**

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"Choco…" Anna chewed, moaning in her sleep.

_Ring!_

"More—" Her eyes closed, she turned to her side, pulling the blanket over her head.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Anna lazily pushed the blanket off, yawning, "…the hell…" She was in a violet, satin nightgown. The thin fabric hugged her breasts, toned abdomen and thighs at the right curves, exposing her flawless legs. She reached over the heavy, wooden bed desk, blindly fumbling among the five cell phones.

_Ring! Ring! Ring—_

"Joan, I don't do lunch," she grumbled a warning.

"Jesus Christ, it's already ten! I've been calling you like a thousand times! You're supposed to pick up that cousin of yours at the airport this morning!"

Anna's eyes shot opened, her body stiffened._ Cousin? Airport?_

"Get up now!" Joan barked.

"Help!" Anna leapt off the bed, tripping herself all the way across the hefty bedroom to the marble-floored bathroom. With the phone still pressed to one ear, she began to brush her teeth. But horror flashed across her face as she studied her reflection in the mirror. She was practically looking at the reddish bird nest that was her hair. A mice could run into it, die, and she would never find it. Getting dressed up would probably take a while.

"Well, I figured that this would happen, so I sent Kris there this morning. Brilliant plan, really," Joan said proudly.

Anna bit her toothbrush. _Kris?_ _God, how awkward this must be for him? _

Despite Joan being her best friend, Anna had chosen to keep her intimate relationship with her childhood friend, Kristoff Bjorkman, a secret. She had grown tired of social circles, friends, families, and most of all, the presses, all trying to pry into her love life. And, they all seemed to celebrate every time she broke up. Kristoff was a valuable friend to her, Joan's alter ego to Anna, so she was being very protective of him.

"You sent Kris to pick up my future fiancée?" Anna mumbled, white foam dripping from her mouth down to her chin. She was still rather dumbfounded by what was happening. Today just got worse by the minute.

"Why not? He always gets the job done. He got to the airport around seven, but called me half an hour ago, and said that he hadn't found her yet. ARA 503 landed on time, but now is ten already." Joan's tone suddenly darkened. "I bet she was caught carrying cocaine and—"

"I really hope that she's not that stupid. There's no way Margaret would let me marry a drug dealer." Anna bent over the sink and spat out the creamy substance. She straightened up with a renewed look of determination in her eyes. _Right, I have to find her, or else mom will murder me!_

* * *

Kristoff had been hanging around the baggage claim area for three hours now, drowning himself with iced coffee, one cup after another, fruitlessly holding the sign with Anna's cousin's name, 'Bella Pedrosa'. He was bored to tears, and many phone calls to his girlfriend hadn't been answered. Surely, Anna was still asleep. What he wanted to talk to her about wasn't the failure to find _the_ cousin, but the fact that he had just heard about Anna's engagement this morning. For God's sake, he had been Anna's friend since seven years old, and it was only the past year that Anna finally laid her eyes upon him. Just when his true love finally had Anna, this had to happen by the order of Margaret Wilhelmsen.

_Ring! _

He pulled out his phone from the pocket of his leather jacket. He didn't have to look who was calling since he had a special ringtone for his sweetheart. "Good morning, princess."

"Have you found her yet!? Please, say 'yes!'" Anna squealed.

Frowning, he knew that Anna was forced into this affair, but to hear how desperate she was to please her mother was just a big 'no' to him. "Nobody responded to my sign. Maybe your mother got the wrong flight."

"Margaret is never wrong. Anyway, I'm driving! I'll be there in thirty!"

* * *

Her hair was pulled back into a chignon, copper gleaming under strong sun. A pair of sunglasses on, Anna looked positively radiant in a black, sleeveless, knee-length dress. With a pair of black, ankle strap, high heels, she strode through the crowded curbside and entered the baggage claim area.

"Kris!" Anna waved gleefully when she spotted Kristoff, rushing towards him. She had garnered countless ogles already, but welcomed the attention. She was beautiful and famous, and she dressed to kill. It wasn't, by any chance, her attempt to leave an impression on her future fiancée, but she just wanted to look good at all occasions.

Kristoff was standing by an empty baggage belt. His big arms hugged across his chest, he gave her a curt nod. "Where have you been? It's already half past noon."

"I got off the wrong exit. _Exits_. Sorry," Anna winced.

Kristoff just rolled his eyes. He knew how easily she got lost on the road.

Anna looked up at the monitor and gasped. "Shit, she's gone like—like five hours ago! I'm never going to find her!" ARA 503 had long gone from the monitor, and the empty baggage belt suddenly seemed life threatening. It appeared like a gigantic serpent robot that would wake from its sleep and attack her at any given second now. "I'm doomed. What am I gonna do now?" She sank down along the metallic edge of the belt, rubbing her temples. Her phone and purse pooled over her lap.

Seeing how down Anna looked, Kristoff lifted the sign up again for any passenger to see. "She'll turn up. She will. Does she have your phone number, or maybe your mother's?" But they both knew that if Margaret found out about her niece missing, it would probably be the death of Anna.

Just when Anna was about to burst into tears, a group of people began to flock around her. She looked up to see the excited gleam in their eyes. They were gasping, whispering, and giggling with one another. She glared at them behind her sunglasses. This had to be the worst time to meet and greet her fans.

"Isn't that—"

"Could be."

"Really?"

"Sure, it's her."

"_Anna Wilhelmsen_? Oh, my God, it's really her!"

Soon, they were holding up their phones and taking selfie shots with a distraught Anna on the empty belt in the background. Anna inwardly groaned; it had to be the saddest selfie moment she had ever been in.

"Maybe I should just call mom's secretary." Anna surrendered, and picked up her phone. _374 missed calls from Joan. Loyal friend, I love you. 52 missed calls from Kris. Loyal-boyfriend-in-the-closet, I love you, too. 2 missed calls from mother. Holy shit. We'll talk about that later. _Anna grimaced, but then something else caught her attention. _1 missed call from unknown?_ She studied the strange numbers she couldn't recognize. She frowned at it. It could be just an ordinary false call, or… _Or…_

Anna had no choice but to take the chance. She called the number.

_Ring. Ring._

Anna waited.

_Ring. Ring. Ring. Ring. _

Anna scowled. _Maybe they just made a wrong call. _She almost pressed the 'cancel' button, but a voice slipping through the receiver stopped her.

"Hello?" It was a young woman's voice, so small and thin that Anna almost lost it amidst the loudness around her.

Anna instantly held the phone to her ear again. "Hello? You called this number earlier this morning."

A silence. "Anna?"

Green eyes widened. "R—right, this is Anna speaking. Who is this?"

"Your mother gave me this number. I'm sorry if I called too early."

The woman sounded nothing like Anna had imagined. She had expected a normally loud, confident and energetic Ernolynthian native. But the woman's voice was instead melodious and soothing, with mild accent that Anna founded cute. The woman sounded way too calm after five hours of wait, but Anna was just too delighted to care. She mutedly jumped around in joy.

Kristoff moved a bit closer to Anna, while cautious of their distance. "It's her?"

Anna nodded furiously, grinning until her face hurt. She was saved from Margaret's murder! "Where are you now, Bella? Are you still in Arendelle? Oh, I hope you haven't left! Arendelle is such a great place! We can be intimidating at times, but we're really nice people. And we've got many tourist attractions! We got museums, the oldest art galleries, the second largest national park up north—"

"I'm still at the airport." The response came soft.

"Thank God!" Anna pumped her fist in the air.

"But my name is Elizabeth Pereira. Are you sure we're looking for each other?" The woman suddenly sounded doubtful.

"Yes! Yes! Pereira. Whatever. Your mother is a Vandenburg, yeah?" Anna beamed. But a long moment of silence almost killed her hope, and she stopped. Her shoulders dropped. Her heart sank. "Hello? Are you still there?"

"Yes, she was… a Vandenburg."

"GREAT! Where are you now? I'm at gate 98!" Anna rushed out the doors to the swarming curbside, not waiting for Kristoff.

"I'm at 14. I'm sorry. I've wandered the past hours."

Anna caught the guilt in the woman's voice. "No. No. No, it isn't you. I'm to be blamed for this," she admitted as she hurried down the pavement. High heels slowed her down a great deal. As she got closer and closer to gate 14, many ideas kept her mind wondering endlessly. She expected to meet a young woman with healthily tanned skin and striking curves of a full body. Perhaps, a pair of dark eyes with thick, curly hair of rich-honey color like a barbaric princess from the deep jungle. Perhaps, a pair of muscular, shapely legs, and a pair of strong, slender arms, equipped with a malicious spear in her grip as she marched through West Manadelsa.

Even though Anna was still determined to botch this marriage plan, she couldn't help but grow curious of this mysterious woman. Whatever importance this woman held, it was enough to make Margaret sacrifice at least two years of her own daughter's freedom for. But what counterattacks Anna had in mind, the most important thing right now was to find the woman and take her home to Margaret in one piece.

Anna zoomed past hundreds of passengers, pushing away loaded and emptied carts alike. _Only one call during the past five hours?_ Anna pondered. She would have made a thousand calls if no one had shown to pick her up. What would have happened if she hadn't checked her phone—this phone in particular? She could only thank her luck that Margaret chose this number to be the contact number.

Out of breath, Anna eventually reached gate 14. Her face was red. Her throat was burning. It was summer, and she was sweating like a pig from running. "I—I'm at 14 now. Where are you?" Anna breathed. Given the vicious heat, she almost dropped her hands to her knees after the sprint on high heels.

"I'm at… at 78…" came the ragged whisper.

Anna stopped dead in her tracks, nearly collapsing to the floor. They had been running to the opposite sides, unknowingly crossing each other. However, Anna wasn't quite sure why she was smiling. She should scream at the woman's tactless move. She should sulk that it was only minutes away to prevent this woman from ever becoming real. She should be thrashing violently on the floor as her freedom was so close to be taken away. But her heart was beating differently. It was a new kind of energy. Eagerness. Almost a cruel curiosity, a suicidal challenge against her mother.

Anna paced around a little, giving herself a few moments to regain her bearings. She looked up at the clear, blue sky beyond the extended shade of the building. "You know what… Don't move."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't move. I'll find you." There was no response from the other end of the line as Anna rushed back.

_24… 52… 78…!_

Anna skidded to a halt. Her legs were shaken, her ankles aching. She turned around, wheezing. The passengers were moving about, dizzying her vision. This wasn't how she had envisioned it to be. At least not with her hair sticking out in unwanted directions, her chignon loosened from the exertion, her back dampened—soaked. Beads of perspiration streamed down her forehead as though she had just stepped out of a sauna-gone-murderous. People started to gawk at her, but she knew that it was likely due to her looking utterly ridiculous at the moment.

Holding the phone up to her ear, Anna turned around, feverishly searching the area. "78. I'm… at 78 now. Where… where are you? What do you look like?"

"Anna?"

"I'm still here." Anna briefly shut her eyes in exhaustion. Her chest heaving fast, she needed more air in her lungs. Her knees weakened, she lingered in front of the gate, winded. "Yeah, I'm right in front of—"

"Anna."

Anna opened her mouth but suddenly paused. The voice sounded so close to her, and she was certain that it didn't come from the phone. Her phone-hand slowly dropped to her side, and she took a deep, long breath in before turning around. Then, she was faced with a taller, slim figure, and it was everything that completely opposed her idea of a Pereira.

There was not a rebellious trace on the perfectly carved face. There was not a single scar or a menacing tattoo expected on the skin of an underworld thug. The pair of full, pink lips remained still for a long moment before it broke into a tender smile. Pink had flushed on the dampened cheeks, the delicate skin as pale as snow. Anna found no conclusion of what was presented before her until the stranger meekly pulled the pair of dark shades off. Then, everything Anna had ever known was turned upside down. Under the stare from the blue eyes that were bluer than the East Ocean itself, if Anna's world had been in colors before, now it was in full HD.

Elsa timidly pulled the impoverished-looking, gray scarf off her head, letting it pool around her thin shoulders, revealing not a thick, honey-colored hair, but silky, platinum blonde tresses. Amusingly, it looked as though she wasn't even half Vandenburg, but a pure one. If Margret had appeared ruthless, cold and eagle-like with her Vandenburg features, the young Pereira gave an entirely different essence to the Vandenburg with her sentimental appeal of genteel qualities instead.

The hypnotic stare effectively chained Anna to the spot. Then, blue eyes narrowed, and Anna found her breath hitched. There was uncertainty in Elsa's shy smile as she lightly bit her bottom lip.

"Hello, Anna." The voice sounded even sweeter than it did on the phone.

The greeting finally came, and Anna couldn't handle it even when she didn't think anything could threaten her now. She never believed in that mythical you-had-me-at-hello bullshit, but things weren't looking in her favor at the moment.

_I'm so screwed._


	3. Chapter 3

World Cup Final broke my heart. Broke. My. Heart.

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**Chapter 3**

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Her left knee had begun to scream from the long flight. The hours of wait and the jog from gate 14 weren't helping either. Elsa was now at gate 78, breathless. She was about to meet Anna Wilhelmsen in flesh and blood, and she was suddenly anxious. She had been so self-conscious that she dared making only one phone call. She would rather spend a night at the mercy of West Manadelsa's baggage belt rather than making another call.

_Hello. Hi. I've seen you on TV—uh, no, this is terrible._

Elsa tried to recall the mock conversations replaying in her head throughout the flight to Arendelle. She had practiced some greetings, but all the preparations just flied out the window now. Surely, she had seen Anna from the news and countless gossip columns before. Once, she had even gone to the theater to see one of Anna's movies. It was a cheap, chick flick with a title Elsa couldn't remember. Elsa didn't want to see it, but she was coerced to go by the others and finally gave in. It was two hours of her life that she wanted back along with the ten-buck worth of a movie ticket.

But it was still 'Anna Wilhelmsen'. She was the colors of the magazines, the life of a party—the glamour to eclipse fireworks in the sky. She was the daughter of the president of Arendelle, the world's third superpower. Elsa wasn't sure how to act in front of her now. Did Anna bring an army of SS bodyguards with her? A parade of black limos? Elsa had thought that meeting the First Lady was tough, but it was in Ernolynth—in a small town where nobody would pay attention to them. It was a different case now, too; she was told that Anna would be _the_ one to marry her.

Then, a young redhead rushed across Elsa's view.

She was in a black, revealing dress. Her loose chignon started to betray her confidence as she paced in front of the gate, impatiently turning around. She was attractive even if Elsa couldn't completely make of the face behind the pair of sunglasses. The woman definitely stood out in the crowd with her fit figure and the fiery color of her hair. The pair of slender, toned legs. The firm curves of her back and buttocks as the sultry dress left very little imagination to the onlookers.

Elsa held her phone up to her ear, and waited.

"…78 now. Where… where are you? What do you look like?"

Elsa watched as the redhead breathed, listening to the pants from the receiver that matched the woman's heaving chest in a ragged, tortured rhythm. Slowly Elsa moved past the crowd towards the woman in question. Ignoring the bumps against her shoulders from the milling crowd, she was now within distance to admire the adorable freckles on the woman's bony, but athletic shoulders.

"Anna?"

"… yeah, I'm right in front of—"

"Anna."

It took a moment before the redhead turned around. Her sunglasses had slid down her nose, exposing a flash of ingenuous, curious, green gaze. The mild freckles across her cheeks gave Anna a different and younger look from what Elsa usually saw in the media. Her face reddened, Anna's lovely lips parted, gasping for air. Elsa wasn't sure if it was a sigh of relief or a frightened gasp, but she suddenly felt the hot air around them too difficult to breathe in. She found it surprising that the sweaty, spontaneous and befuddled Anna somehow looked much sexier than her normally prissy, princess persona. If Elsa had been unsure how to greet Anna, she was now at her most vulnerable moment to conjure any use of her pathetic social graces.

However, they both just stood, wordlessly gazing at each other. Elsa couldn't tell if it was Anna or her who excelled at worst greeting. She wouldn't have expected it from someone as sociable (a party animal) like Anna, but reality often surprised one when least expected.

Her hand slightly shaken, Elsa took off her sunglasses and pulled down the scarf around her head. She inwardly debated whether to bow, but decided against it. "Hello, Anna." Finally, she delivered when it mattered, offering a polite smile.

Yet, no response came.

After a long moment of terrorizing silence, Anna pushed her sunglasses up her nose, turning her face the other way. She quickly brushed the sticky strands of hair from her face. "Is that everything?" Her question came curt. She hugged her phone and purse to her chest as if she was afraid of some petty theft.

Elsa paused, becoming very conscious of her attires, especially the old scarf and the battered pair of creamy Converse. She glanced down at the navy-colored, mudded, gym bag in her hand. "Yes, it is all," she mumbled, suddenly getting all embarrassed at her own accent.

Anna stiffened for a moment, but then strode way with those high heels of hers. "Follow me."

"Kris." Anna spoke into the Bluetooth that was now clipped to her right ear, striding through the endless parking lot. "Yeah, she's with me… I'll take her home first… But mother wants me for dinner tonight… Kris, come on… Well, join us then. I'll ask Joan, too… All right. See you."

Elsa had been utterly surprised when Margaret found her and promised to rescue her from the slum. It had been a fairytale, but she should have known better after all that had happened. Anna's reaction was understandable as this was to be an arranged marriage. It was Anna's years of freedom spent on her accommodation—her new life here, and Elsa truly felt bad about it.

At the heavy thoughts, Elsa quietly followed the younger woman.

* * *

"No. No. No. No. In the back. You sit in the back." Anna spoke so fast that she almost bit her tongue. At all time, she kept her face exactly at 45-degree-turn away from where Elsa was. Not those eyes. Not one glimpse, or she'd be petrified into stone. Not the threatening proximity of the front passenger seat either.

"Are you su—"

"No—Yes. Yes, I'm sure. Just. Please. Get. In." Gesturing at the backseat of her black Evoque, Anna spoke louder than usual, intentionally drowning Elsa's voice. Not that voice. Not that accent either. Everything about this woman was driving her crazy, and it scared the shit out of her. No one should have such daunting powers over others by simply doing nothing. After assessing all causes and effects the blonde had produced around her, Anna decided that she didn't like her.

_Nope. I don't like her at all._

Anna started the engine, and stomped on the accelerator. Never mind the heels. The car sped off the parking lot. She slapped the rear-view mirror up, getting rid of all evidence of Elsa's presence. Thank God that Elsa kept her mouth shut all through the ride.

* * *

Dinnertime came, and Anna braved herself for today's second round of Hurricane Elsa.

They were having a family dinner in the main dining room. Expensive china and silver spoons. White fireplace. Large, white doors with gold-painted cornice. The long table that could accommodate eighteen guests occupied the middle of the room, standing over a crimson carpet. The pair of luxurious chandeliers nicely lit up the pale green, textured wallpapers. The high walls were decorated with several portraits of the Wilhelmsen ancestors.

Their heels clicked smoothly along the lacquered, wooden floor. Anna had felt that the dinner was overdone. They usually had their meals in the smaller dining room next to the kitchen, _or_ in the kitchen itself at rush hour. While Margaret had insisted for the best, Anna had felt that it might make Elsa uncomfortable. They were to receive a long lost relative, who had spent her recent years in the high-crime, southern region of Ernolynth, one of the world's most dangerous places to be. Anna had thought that something warmer was more appropriate. But Elsa's homecoming dinner was looking very much like a state dinner! Foods and drinks were served precisely at six o'clock, and it looked enough to feed all the kids in Elsa's village (not that Anna knew if Elsa lived in a village), considering how achingly thin her future fiancée was.

President Oscar Wilhelmsen was seated at the head of the table. Margaret and Joan occupied the opposite side, while Anna was sitting between Kristoff and Elsa. Anna didn't particularly fancy the idea of being so close to Elsa, but it was still better than sitting on the opposite side.

_Those Antarctic-blue Medusa eyes (before she was cursed, of course). _

"Uh, forgive me." Oscar realized that he had been staring. A man in his mid-fifties. Sleek, short hair with the color that burned. A deep set of green eyes. Fair, freckled skin. He was in a white shirt and a pair of gray pants, confident with his crimson, silk necktie, and he just couldn't do without the carved, golden tie clip, a gift from Margaret from the Far East on their thirtieth anniversary.

At times, Anna couldn't help but feel proud of her father's looks, which had lit up the dire, gray-haired or balding, wrinkly souls that made up the Arendellean government.

Oscar cleared his throat a bit. His cheeks flushed as he tore his gaze away from the blonde sitting next to Anna.

_Is he… Oh, God, dad is blushing! _Anna gawked at him in disbelief. Then, she turned to see the dreamy look in Joan's eyes. Her friend had never looked this terribly distracted; a silly smile on her face, her chin rested on her palm as she gazed at Elsa.

Anna lifted her forked hand and waved at Joan. "_Eat,_" she hissed.

"Thank you," Joan distantly mumbled, her gaze fixing on the clueless blonde, who was intensely focused to dissect the juicy steak on her plate.

Anna had to admit that she felt better now after seeing the look on Oscar and Joan's face. She just hoped that she didn't look as dumbstruck at the airport as they did now.

Holding a knife and a fork, Margaret was smiling, seemingly approved of Elsa in cleaner clothes than the ones she wore earlier today.

The only persons at the table who appeared less-than-enthusiastic were Kristoff and Elsa. Although Kristoff seemed fine after they got back from the airport, and while they hung out at their favorite café this afternoon, he had been quiet throughout dinner.

Elsa, on the other hand, had been in her room until dinnertime. Freshened up in her casual, mellow-blue, below-the-knee dress, Elsa had greeted everyone politely, but hadn't spoken another word unless a question was directed at her. To Anna's relief, the blonde wouldn't look her way either. It seemed that her cousin had picked up on things fast, and they now shared a mutual understanding: distance is golden.

"How was your flight, Elsa? Was it comfortable?" Margaret questioned. "I was a little worried about your knee."

"It was comfortable, Auntie Margaret. Thank you."

Elsa had kept all her answers short, and Anna was glad that the blonde hadn't mentioned the five-hour wait.

"I gave Kai a list of what to get you a few days ago. How did you find your room?" Margaret actually grinned at her plate, enjoying her lamb steak.

"Everything is great. Thank you, Auntie Margaret," Elsa replied. Through all her attempt to cut the meat, her plate was only a quarter-empty, her appetite seemingly low.

_Auntie. Auntie. Auntie._ Gobbling up her food, Anna fought not to melt at the exotic accent, reminding herself to bring a pair of earplugs next time.

"Should you need anything else, just tell Kai. He can arrange it for you," Oscar insisted.

Elsa nodded gratefully, continuing her dinner as if sniffing the food instead of eating it.

"How do you like it here so far? Has Anna shown you around Arendelle City?" Margaret asked over her wine. Her usually cold gaze was smiling warmly at her niece. Anna swore that her mother had rarely ever looked at her like that.

Elsa opened her mouth, but hesitated. If anything, she looked pale and tired. Anna pondered a bit, and decided that it was likely that the twelve-hour difference in time zones had started to take effect.

"I was busy this afternoon," Anna muttered.

"I'll do it! I can take you around. Anywhere you want to go. Name it," Joan grinned from ear to ear.

Anna briefly glanced at Elsa. It had to be Joan's ridiculous crown of flowers or her goofy grin that earned Elsa's first real smile at dinner.

"I'm free tomorrow," Anna deadpanned, staring down at her plate again.

"I thought we were supposed to go to Erik's. There's a pool game I have to settle with him," Kristoff mentioned over what seemed to be his eighth glass of wine this evening. This was his first involvement at dinner.

"Thank you, Joan. It's very nice of you," Elsa said. "And your crown is very pretty," she added sincerely.

Joan's hand instantly shot up to the crown, blushing madly. "Why, thank you!"

_Seriously?_ Anna wanted to glare at Elsa, but decided against it.

Kristoff nodded to Joan. "Yeah, you should take her to Alstad market. It seems like you both share the same interest."

"Kris is right. Definitely, Alstad flower market is one of many places to visit. It's been around for 178 years. The market is now a very popular tourist spot. Indeed, it's become something like a national pride to us." Oscar smugly laughed to himself.

"Silly, darling. It's just a place that sells flowers," Margaret said, "But… it doesn't hurt to give it a try. Elsa likes flowers. What a sweet child."

Licking the dripping sauce off her fingers, Anna rolled her eyes. _Yada yada yada. Make her your daughter already._

"Kris' father owns the largest florist shop on Alstad St., one of the oldest. It was founded by his great-great-grandfather, Edvin Bjorkman. Edvin, gods bless him, was originally from the town called, 'Drjolzen', a great fishing town up north. They were actually the whale hunters!" Joan explained to Elsa, while gesturing at Kristoff. "But that's another story. I can take you to Alstad tomorrow. I'm sure you'll love it."

Anna felt a knot in her throat. How could she fail to mention the Bjorkman family in any discussion regarding Alstad St.!? It was his family's legacy, and he was deeply proud of it.

But Kristoff just nodded as if he was as equally uninterested as Anna in the flower discussion.

Oscar frowned. "But it was Edvin's son, who made it outstanding at Alstad. Anders Bjorkman, wasn't it?"

"You got it right, darling." Margaret cut the meat on her plate.

Kristoff just hummed at this point, scratching his reddened nose.

"He was a true artist," Oscar said, nodding as if to convince everyone at the table.

"Florist." Margaret chewed her steak.

Discussions of places and national pride continued to dominate much of dinner conversations, but Elsa grew unresponsive each minute past. She blinked through the questions, and gave inert replies, if she managed to listen at all. She had multiple times stifled her yawns, hiding them behind her fist.

_Slender wrist. Delicate fingers—Urgh!_ Anna looked away, washing down her wine. It amused her that nobody seemed to notice how Elsa's head had started nodding for a while now. The poor woman was about to drop her pretty face into her plate.

Clearing her throat, Anna stood up, pushing her chair back. Her swift movement had somehow caused the whole room to silence. Everyone was staring up at her.

Margaret blinked at her daughter. "Where are you going? You haven't finished your dinner."

Kristoff pulled up the white napkin from his lap, wiping his lips. "Are you full?" He looked ready to walk with her.

"The food is not to your taste?" Oscar looked bewildered. Then, he turned to the maids behind him. "Get Ronald to prepare whole roasted turbot for Anna. She likes it with tomatoes and a little bit of—"

"Dad, the food is fine. I'll be right back. I just have to take her to the bedroom." Anna moved behind Elsa's chair, gripping the backrest. Then, she realized how odd her wording sounded. "I—I meant t—that Elsa needs a nap now. She's having a terrible jet lag as you can see."

Blue eyes managed to widen. "No, I'm fine."

Elsa was probably embarrassed at the moment, but Anna couldn't care less. The woman needed her rest, and a fancy dinner had no reason to obstruct it. "Hurry up. I've got a dinner to come back to," Anna said.

Elsa glanced between Margaret and Oscar, and then stood up. Anna pulled the chair back, giving more room for Elsa.

When Elsa wavered, Anna grabbed her hand and led her away. "You guys enjoy your dinner. I'll be right back."

* * *

Anna pushed the door to Elsa's room open and turned on the lamp on the wooden bed desk.

She had released Elsa's hand as soon as they were beyond the dining room. She had jerked away as if the touch had electrified her. Elsa hadn't looked at her again, and only followed limply to the second floor of the mansion.

Anna inspected the room. It used to be her childhood room. Half the size of her current one, but sufficient enough. The cartoony wallpapers were long gone, leaving painted white walls instead.

Towels. A toothbrush and toothpaste. A pair of slippers. A hairdryer. A large mirror and a bathtub. Four white robes in a closet, hanging along the dozen of white shirts and black lady suits. Studying them, Anna was impressed that Margaret had the clothes tailored close to Elsa's size. Should Elsa need a formal wear in urgency, she could cruise through these with no problem.

"Looks like everything is set. Do you—" Anna came out of the closet, and saw the slender form already on the bed.

Her limbs fanned out, Elsa's eyes were shut, her lips parted. While a pillow was half-inclined at the side of her face, another pillow was dropped to the wooden floor next to the bed. The blanket was pooled at her left leg, providing no warmth on her body. One arm over her messy, blonde head, she looked peaceful in the disarray of her bed.

Bending over the bed, Anna frowned at the faint, brownish stains over Elsa's upper lip. Covering her mouth, she had to stifle her laugh at the sight. _Such a child!_ She then wiped the sauce from Elsa's mouth with her fingers, surprised at Elsa's cold breaths. However, her smile vanished the moment her hand moved up, wanting to brush the bangs from Elsa's eyes. _Better not. _Further touching could make things more complicated than it should be. Quietly, she retracted her hand and pulled the blanket up to cover Elsa's body.

Anna walked up to the door, and halted for a second. Then, the whisper came, "Welcome to Arendelle."

A moment after the door was closed, blue eyes managed to open a slit, tired and droopy. Staring idly at the ceiling, Elsa stuck her tongue out and licked where Anna's fingers had touched.


	4. Chapter 4

_Yay to Messi fans :D_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

On her green shortboard, Anna surfed through waves after waves, needing to burn off her energy. Her hair was pulled back with a black band, glistened in the strong sunlight. She was in her black, short-sleeve wetsuit. Her arms fanned out for balance, she stood firm on the board. But her mind was as unsettled as the crashes of wave.

'_I want you,' Elsa had thrown herself atop Anna, '…for breakfast.'_

Anna wiped the seawater from her reddened eyes, and made for another big wave.

_Everything around Anna was a blur, and she had blindly shot her hands up, cupping the blonde's bare breasts— _

"Oooof!" The wave had hit her, pulling her under.

Kicking her feet, Anna surfaced again. Her stomach lying flat on the board, she allowed herself a moment as she choked on seawater. She coughed as she paddled towards the shore, grumbling at her slip. All she could taste now was salt, and it did an amazing job in erasing the horrid dream she had this morning.

The beach was crowded. Anna picked up her board and trudged towards Erik's beach house. The lewd dream she had was appalling! Heaven must have been playing a bad joke on her. Or, Joan had drugged her. Or, her mother had hypnotized her. Her pace stalled when she spotted a topless woman sunbathing a few feet away. It was a common sight along this famous beach of Skagen, and she had never paid them attention until now. She'd never really paid attention to the subject of homosexuality at all. Her world was supposed to be bubbly, party and straight.

Anna looked away, agitated. She was still straight yesterday until ARA 503 landed approximately 29 hours ago. Something was very wrong. Something was dangerously contagious.

When Anna had woken early this morning, she hadn't been able to go back to sleep, twisting and turning on her bed, frustrated at the ache between her thighs. Then, she had listened to the sound of Elsa's door closing by dawn, the woman's tiptoeing past her room a moment later, and the sound of a car engine starting from outside her window. Anna had let Joan take Elsa away because she couldn't trusted herself after the dream she had.

_Absolutely a nightmare._

Squinting under the scorching sun, Anna leaned her board against the brick wall in front of Erik's house, and entered. The windows were wide open, letting the wind breeze through. The overhead fans were spinning, but they weren't helping much with the heat.

Kristoff and Erik were each having a bottle of beer in their hand, pacing around the pool table.

"Hey." Kristoff nodded at her presence, his gaze fixing upon the red ball. Yes, she could tell exactly what he was seeing. They had been friends since she was five, and he was seven. Anything he felt, she gladly embraced it. And, if she was hurt, he would be hurting as well. It was the kind of unspoken promise—an invisible embrace.

"Annie," Erik greeted. He was in a yellow, sleeveless t-shirt, and a pair of navy shorts. He was an inch taller, but much thicker, than Kristoff. A dark-haired skinhead with a tattoo on his left arm: a naked redhead propped against a boulder with a crashing wave behind her. Two years ago, he had her name tattooed, but had to remove it seven months later. It was rather typical of Erik. He was the royal type of a loser; handsome, rich and unfunny. He was the type that girls would swoon over at first, but was dumped afterwards for his niceness.

Sometimes Anna wanted to tell Kristoff to stop hanging out with the unfortunate conquerors of romance. For some silly reason, it gave her a bad vibe over their own affair. As much as she felt unready to go public with their romance, she did want it to last. After years of endless parties, Kristoff happened to be the safest bet to keep her away from the string of bad luck. It must be _the_ Hans Curse (the guy was the beginning of it all anyway).

Anna sighed.

Maybe the fault didn't lie with Kristoff's luckless friends. Maybe Margaret and Joan were right about her love life. Maybe she really was the empress of bad romance. She could be the season of spring, or the vibrant shades of scales on tropical fish, yet she lost it at every turn, at every slip on the dance floor. 'Anna Wilhelmsen' had lost more than she had gained, but not many had bothered to see beyond the sophisticated façade her parents' family names provided. Very few except for Joan and Kristoff.

"Hey." Anna brushed the wet hair from her face as she strode past the pool room. She left her sandy footprints everywhere, water dripping in her wake. She made good use of the light-blue fridge, and fetched a can of Pepsi. After hours of surfing, a refreshment was much needed.

Tossing the empty can into the bin, Anna trudged across the living room, and exited through the door to the narrow road. Her car was parked right outside of the beach house.

Kristoff looked up when he heard an engine revving.

"Dude, where's she going?" Erik looked confused as he sipped his beer.

Kristoff turned to admire the view outside the window, but it did very little to comfort him. He could read Anna like an open book. "Alstad… She's going to Alstad."

* * *

Black Evoque pulled over a distance from a white jet along the private airstrip.

Anna leapt out of the car, waving. "Mom! We need to talk!" She had made it in time! It was either that, or Margaret had to delay her flight to receive this urgent meeting. Looking up the air stairs and seeing the sharp line of Margaret's compressed lips, Anna decided that it was the latter.

Margaret was standing at the jet's entrance, staring down at Anna behind her sunglasses. As usual, the First Lady was in her white lady suit, her hair pulled back into a bun. But the strong wind managed to break some strands of hair loose from her neat hairdo. Surely, she would fuss over it once she was inside the jet.

Anna already felt the disapproval from her mother's burning gaze. After all, she was still in her wetsuit, wet and sticky as she climbed up the air stairs. "We… we need to talk…" Panting, she stopped only two steps below Margaret.

"I'm already thirty-five minutes late to my schedule. It's better be important."

Anna had meant to go to Alstad, but something had triggered. It made her turn to the root of the problem instead. Now, she was here, face-to-face with _it_.

"Why do I have to marry her?" Anna spoke, her voice coarse.

Behind Margaret was Selma in a black, lady suit. A woman in her mid-fifties, Selma was Margaret's longest serving assistant. At Anna's question, she retreated into the jet.

Margaret's jaw muscles moved, and Arendelle summer suddenly felt like doomsday, freezing like the North Pole had taken over.

"I—uh—I mean there're plenty of others who'd marry E—Elsa. She'd have no problem finding someone." Anna grumbled that she couldn't even speak the name out properly. "Forget the six months she needs. I give her two weeks to land someone who actually want to marry her." Her mind involuntarily raced back to the most beautiful pair of blue eyes she had ever seen. She wasn't exaggerating; the blonde could easily get anyone she wanted.

Margaret sighed. "Is that why you let Joan take your fiancée to Alstad this morning?"

"Not yet a fiancée." Anna tried to focus on the mountains and the blue sky in the backdrop of the airstrip instead of her mother. One had to be blind not to notice Joan's infatuation for Elsa, and that included Elsa herself. Anna inwardly scoffed that Elsa left this morning with Joan instead of waiting for her. "I'm pretty sure Joan wouldn't mind. And, if she's not ready, I can talk her into it. She'll help out. She's a great friend."

"I don't gamble, Anna. I want someone I can trust. I need a job done."

Anna watched her own reflection on Margaret's sunglasses. Honestly, she didn't see anyone her mother could trust at all. She frowned as she still found no reason to all of this. "But, it's too risky. Wouldn't her history ruin dad's career?"

"We did a thorough background check. There's been absolutely no link between her and her father's syndicate. We expect some repercussions, but none will have real impacts on our family name, because there is nothing they can use against us."

Anna bit her bottom lip. She was running out of excuses. "But… mom, I can't—"

"Elsa is clean. You have nothing to worry about, though I appreciate your concern. That's thoughtful of you."

"God, that's not the point. I just can't marry—"

Margaret let out an annoyed sigh. "What?"

"I'm with someone!" Anna blurted out.

Margaret paused, and Anna immediately looked away.

"It's not like what happened with Hans, or the many relationships—flings that followed, ok?" Anna scratched the back of her head. She felt clumsy. _Odd_. She wasn't sure what she was trying to prove, or if her mother cared to listen at all. "He's the nicest guy I've ever met. Well, I mean, dad is still up there. 'Nicest guy'. He'd like that, yeah." She chuckled sheepishly. "But I mean, this guy, he's the best thing that's ever happened to me. He and I, we could be real, but… this marriage will probably ruin it. You know, two or three years is a long time. I don't think anyone would wait for me that long."

A moment passed before Margaret breathe again. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't know. I asked Joan, and she said that you weren't seeing anyone right now."

For some reason, Anna felt warmth spreading in her heart at her mother's unexpected apology. "It's ok. I didn't tell Joan. Didn't want to make a big deal out of it," she said, smiling.

"You wouldn't even tell her?" Margaret gasped. "This has to be very serious for you. Who is he?"

Anna blushed. "I—I just wanted to make sure if he's _the_ one. Don't want to disappoint you and dad again."

"Well, if it's a matter of love, you don't need our approval."

Anna raised her brows in utter surprise. "Really?"

"Even when you were seeing Hans, I didn't ask you to leave him, did I? I wanted you to learn on your own."

Anna narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "But it almost ruined dad's career."

"You're more important. Besides, I never really cared for his ambitious, political circus anyway."

A throaty laugh escaped Anna's lips. She was beaming so badly, her face hurt.

"You're twenty-three now. And, I'm glad to see you—" Margaret dragged her breath as she tried to find the right word, "grow a more serious side."

Anna watched longingly. It was one of a few times she had seen her mother earnest smile. It was a smile of content—almost a happy sigh.

Shaking her head, Margaret tucked her hair behind her ear. "Sofia, your grandmother, disapproved of my affair with your father back then. We had to fight to keep it alive, to let it flourish. Oh, we fought hard to be here."

Anna paused. "Margaret Vandenburg fought for _love_? You're shitting me, right?"

Margaret straightened up. "If you've gotten a passionate side in you, you know that you'd probably gotten it from the Vandenburgs. The Wilhelmsens are too dense to understand what it is."

Anna laughed at her father's expense. Somehow, this small information completely erased the image of the unsympathetic, ice queen she had had of her mother. It shed a new light upon a Margaret Anna had never known before. Suddenly, she felt bad that she had only thought of her happiness with Kristoff, and had totally cast her mother into the role a villain against their romance.

"Mom, I'm sorry—"

"Madam." Selma emerged with a gray, thin folder in her hands.

Turning, Margaret noted the folder in her assistant's hands, and then waved in dismissal. "That's not needed now."

Selma blinked in confusion.

A mischievous grin on her face, Anna stepped up the stairs, snatching the folder from Selma. The assistant looked bewildered, just like those times when a five-year-old Anna stole some changes from the cup on her office desk.

"Anna!" Margaret reached for the folder.

But Anna retreated a few steps down, out of her mother's reach. "Ooooh, what is it you're trying to hide from me?" She flipped through the folder. 'Elizabeth Adriana Pereira' was typed at the top right corner of the first page, paragraphs of details spread out below. There were several photographs of a blonde girl in her adolescent years stuffed between the pages.

Anna looked up at her mother with wide eyes. "You've been watching her since she was a child?"

A moment slipped before Margaret sighed. "She's my niece. I had to know what, when and how that went on in her life. I was going to give it to you if you had further questions about her, but now… there's no reason for you to know any further. We'd like to have it back, please."

Reflexively, Anna hugged the folder, taking two more steps down to avoid any contact. The wind was harsh, and she was swaying. She held on to the object in her embrace, hoping it would ground her to reality.

"Anna—"

"I want to know." The words escaped Anna before she could register its meaning in her mind.

The harsh lines on Margaret's face relaxed. Behind the specs, Anna couldn't tell what her mother was thinking, but Selma's speechless look was trying to tell her something.

Margaret calmly turned away. "The choice is yours, then."

Next thing Anna knew, Margaret entered the jet, leaving the 'Pandora's box' to her possession. There was neither warning, nor request. Anna was well on her own into the unknown journey.

* * *

One hand over the steering wheel, Anna glanced between the road and the folder laid open on the front passenger seat. Her cheeks round, she gobbled up the 12" sandwich she grabbed from Subway, a late lunch she needed. A large Pepsi in the cup holder, she was good to go. Yes, it was her second soft drink of the day, but… to hell with it.

_Born in Minde. A small town up north. _

_5 feet 9 and a half. Wow, she could pass as a swim suit model—errr—_normal_ model—Oh, look, she's an only child…! Yeah, like me._

_Visited Arendelle once at the age of 4. _Anna frowned. _She was 4, then I was 2. Did we meet back then? But mom never said anything about it._

_Home schooling since 7 years old. Ha, no wonder she's weird. _

Anna flipped through more pages. Not much was known about Elsa after that except the few restaurants and local malls where she was seldom spotted. She had a few friends until her circle was rendered nil at the age of ten. It looked to be almost a certainty that Elsa was kept away from public for most of her childhood, but for what reasons, only her family knew.

The latter pages were mostly about her parents.

_Thiago Eduardo Pereira. Four wedded wives. Born in the outskirt of Rahan. Raised by his uncle until he ran away at 14. He was killed 4 years ago. 2 bullets in his head. 1 in his face. 16 in his torso… Wow, someone really hated him. _

_Isabella Lena Vandenburg. Thiago's third wife. Deceased18 years ago. Drowned…_

There were more details, but the road and traffic allowed Anna's curiosity only so much.

Anna drove past the gates of the Wilhelm Mansion, and pulled over at the entrance of the building. She paused at a particular thought.

_Isabella._

Her mother never mentioned the name, so seeing her desperation to save Elsa now seemed puzzling. And, the fact that this folder existed meant that her father knew of it as well. They were keeping tap on Elsa, but why? A lost relative, yes. A daughter of a drug lord, yes.

Then, a photograph slipped from the pages, and Anna picked it up. It was a grainy photo of a young, beautiful, blonde-haired woman, holding a baby girl in her arms. It was the same hair color of the Vandenburg. The same beautiful, blue eyes, and the mysterious smile.

Elsa had gotten everything from her mother (and much more, in Anna's opinion).

* * *

_Wham!_

Anna snapped at the sound of a car's door closing. She raised her head from her folded arms. She had fallen asleep for about an hour in front of her laptop.

She had gotten home in the afternoon, then spent hours searching on 'Thiago Pereira' on the internet. Numerous articles came up. To her surprise, the 'Pereira' legend had become something of literature value. From his poor upbringing in Corona to his adventurous years in the Southern Isles, then his conquer of Ernolynth. His grand mansions and supercars. His beautiful wives and private jets. His love for his children, and his devastation having to see them die one by one. His castle in the sky. His life ignited dreams and adventures on the empty pages.

Then, Anna glanced at the gray folder propped to the right side of the desk, realizing how thin it was.

While Thiago was the vital sign of the corrupted city, Elsa was hidden away like a disease. After long years, she only reappeared at his funeral before another four years of absence to follow. She was his only surviving child to be at the funeral. There'd been no records of her involvement with her father's business, but her life was pretty much a big, fucking blank page. She was a ghost. How could Margaret trust Elsa this much?

Joan's laugh echoed outside the windows. Then, the car rode away.

Anna gazed at the clock on the monitor: it was 2 minutes to midnight. _Cinderella is home._

Anna groggily pushed herself up from the desk and made her way towards the door. She waited out in the hallway, leaning against the doorframe. The lights in her room lent some into the dark hallway, pooling over her shoulders and back.

Not counting the maids and guards outside, Anna was alone in the mansion tonight. Oscar was in the Southern Isles for a meeting tomorrow. Margaret had flown to join him this afternoon. Yep, Anna was all alone. And to her own surprise, she hadn't gone out to her friends' parties, or call up her boyfriend for a cozy time. Something strange by the name 'Pereira' took her by storm and upset her world in a fierce whirlwind.

* * *

It had been a long day.

Alstad had been absolutely vibrant and colorful, walls of flowers adorned both sides of the long street. Vigorous laughs and chatters. People had walked about, greeting one another. The day had been warm, the sky the bluest of blue. For several moments, Elsa had thought that she was walking through a movie set.

In her white dress, Elsa limped up the stairs. "Ah…" Her left knee was killing her from hours of walking today, though she was thankful that Joan had taken her to such a beautiful place. They had a great time. Joan had brought her to Kristoff's father's shop as well. There, she had met Sven, the rugged, big man, the head worker.

Brown hair. A pair of kind, brown eyes. Tanned skin. Everything about Sven was brown and warm. Like chocolate. He introduced a lot of exotic flowers, though Elsa hardly remembered the sweet lecture. She never liked flowers. They were beautiful and touchable, but they reminded her of fickleness—of beautiful things that died so quickly. She had only meant to compliment Joan's crown at dinner last night, not that she was into it, but she didn't regret visiting Alstad today.

_Oh, boy._ Elsa felt like an old woman as she reached the top of the stairs.

As far as Elsa recalled, Oscar and Margaret's room was to the right corridor. She headed to the left, where her room was, but stalled at the sight of a figure by the other end of the hallway. She hadn't a clear view of the person, but the slender pair of long legs below the edge of the thin, jade nightgown reminded her of the killer pair she had seen at the airport yesterday.

_Anna._

A moment passed before Elsa moved again. She stopped in front of her room, which was across the hallway from Anna's. They would need to acknowledge each other. They would need to greet as not to make this day worse than it had started. If their meeting at the airport was pure awkwardness, this was a graveyard's silence.

"Hey." Elsa's greeting came just before the bell in the lobby rang at midnight, the sound softly echoing through the mansion.

Elsa noted the pair of black-rimmed glasses Anna was wearing, and she couldn't help but hold her breath. She found Anna extremely attractive in her revealing nightgown, messy hair, and the pair of glasses. The wild strands of hair falling to the sides of her face. The clear, green eyes. The toned, skinny arms across her full chest. It was the first time in years that Elsa felt enough to stop and admire something. She wasn't sure if Anna was doing this on purpose, but she wasn't complaining.

"You're limping. What happened?" Anna frowned in confusion.

Anna sounded genuinely worried, and Elsa felt as though that she could walk a mile more. It somehow lightened her up that Anna didn't wholeheartedly hated her for being here. "I… sprained my ankle a bit. It's nothing." She briefly glanced away. "Do you always sleep this late? I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Naaaah, usually my party has just started at this time of night, but I guess I'm just tired today." Anna lazily stretched a bit. "Well, how did you like Alstad?"

Elsa smiled. She was relieved that Anna didn't seem cross with her for leaving with Joan. "It was wonderful." She honestly didn't think that Anna would want to go either. She was just glad that everything had worked out for everyone.

Anna's gaze brightened in childlike interest. "That's so pretty. Wow. Your favorite color is white?"

Elsa became acutely aware of her own attire. Her blonde hair was little tousled, her braid loosened. Her cotton dress was white, suitable for hot summer air. A crown of white, big flowers in her hand.

Anna opened her mouth, but her voice suddenly dried up as Elsa walked up to her. The taller woman carefully crowned her with the white flowers.

Elsa's face remained stern, but with a subtle hint of gentleness in her eyes. "Red is my favorite color," she replied.

"B—but… you chose white." Anna's voice was a little shaky.

Elsa hummed, pretending to adjust the crown on Anna's head, while secretly enjoying every moment the younger woman's cheeks burning into a deeper shade of red. "Your mother needs to update my profile," she said.

Anna's eyes widened. "You knew?"

Elsa mildly shrugged. Being who they were, Anna's parents couldn't afford to be reckless. Elsa hadn't much to be proud of; she hadn't the records worth to keep or to show. Then, she realized how good she was for an absentee. For some years, she had managed to escape Arendelle's eye.

Elsa leaned back, beaming at the heavenly sight before her. The flower crown gave out the hot contrast to Anna's hair, bringing out the color of ocean from her eyes. "I was right… White looks good on you."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Sorry, guys, for late update. August was like a family month. Dinners and trips.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

The white crown of flowers sat on Anna's bed desk for the next seven days, darkened and wrinkled.

Anna continued the search on the subject of the legendary kingpin, Thiago Pereira. She didn't go out. She neglected her Wednesday morning swim and her Friday yoga. Her schedules were screwed up. Her phone calls were left unanswered, parties unattended and interviews cancelled. Even after late hours into the night, the internet couldn't feed her enough. It couldn't satiate her hunger. Her curiosity. It had become an obsession. She would read anything, short or long, just to find the name, 'Elizabeth Pereira', in it, but her attempts had rewarded her so little. There were only a few articles came up with Elsa being the sixth child of Thiago, the only one from his marriage with Isabella, and that Elsa was homeschooled until she was of age to attend college. Counting the years, Elsa didn't finish the university, but nothing else been recorded. Nothing was confirmed. It was as if Elsa didn't really exist. No wonder Margaret had such a hard time finding her niece. Who was this woman Anna was supposed to marry, whom she was supposed to save? Only because Elsa was a Vandenburg wasn't enough for Anna.

Not nearly enough.

Anna inwardly sighed as she was queuing, checking out seven books on Thiago Pereira from Kings University's library. A pair of sunglasses over her head, she was in a short, sleeveless, navy-colored dress. Her hair pulled up in a bun, she looked fabulous as usual. Thankfully, most people just glanced her way, but left her alone. She really was in no mood to greet anyone. The line was awfully long, and there was only one librarian available.

_Jeez, can't they hire more people?_

Anna shifted her weight from one foot to another in impatience, hugging those thick books in her arms. Fortunately, she was an alumni of the prestigious university, and it meant that her borrow limit was privileged. She could have these books for three weeks, while others only had five days. Oh, Anna had learned what privileges meant all through her life, and she loved it. Now, only if she could have an express lane.

* * *

Anna pushed through the glass door, but literally crashed into the person, who had just entered. She hadn't the time to put those books into her bag, and they had flown out of her grasp, scattered around the floor. "Shit!" She shot down to her knees, trying to gather the items. She briefly looked up towards the person whom she had just ran into, but didn't really bother to see them. "Sorry, I wasn't looking—"

"Anna?"

At the call, Anna looked up in surprise. Apparently, she had run into the 'ghost' she had tried so hard to find in these books. Her breath was caught in her throat. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of those clear, blue eyes. Elsa looked curious, all the more confused. They hadn't seen each other for a week since that night they met in the corridor. Anna had buried herself in her room, reading, and she had no idea what Elsa had been up to. Whatever it was, Anna felt utmost discomfort to be see her now.

"Hey. Hi, you. Library. Wow. You—uh, you like reading, coming to the library. That's nice. Wow." Anna smiled, but inwardly growled. She never stuttered in public, not to her friends, not at her parties, and certainly never in her interviews. The only person who could make her stutter was Margaret. But now, Elsa, too?

_Ugh, the Vandenburgs! They're vampires. Or witches. O—or monsters. Fuck, I'm fucked._

A small smile on her lips, Elsa knelt to help picking up the books, but paused when she read one of the titles.

"I—I was just… just curious…" Anna tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, but she knew that it was just inane now that about half a dozen books on Elsa's father were scattered about the floor.

Elsa quietly skimmed through the covers, and then handed the books to Anna. "When you finished all these, you'd probably know him better than I do." There was only an earnest smile, not the slightest hint of sarcasm or anger in her voice. There was the exotic accent again, and Anna just melted right then. She was wearing a white shirt, rolled-up sleeves to elbows, and a pair of worn, skinny, black jeans. Her hair was a little messy, possibly from the wind outside. Her attires were simple, yet she managed to make everything on her look spectacular somehow.

Anna cleared her throat, trying not to stare at the blonde. She received the books and stood up. "Thank you." She wasn't sure how close Elsa and her father were. From what Elsa had let out, her prediction was 'absentee father'.

"You know, we could read together, if you want. We'll find out together. How's that?" Anna blurted out before she could stop herself, hugging the books to her chest.

Elsa let out a soft laugh, surprised by the offer. "What? Now?"

"Yeah, why not. Or, did you already have a plan? Ah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't—"

"I'm here to apply for a job."

_Ooooh…_ Anna mentally slapped her forehead. "Right. Right. That's great. Don't let me stop you. Good luck. I mean, you don't need it, but yeah, what the hell, right? Wait, I think I'll go with you just in case. That is, if you don't mind." Anna closed her eyes. _Shut up, Anna. Just shut it._

Elsa shook her head, a timid smile on her face. "I don't mind." She, then, led the way and opened the door for Anna.

They entered the library, and proceeded to the counter. It did take a while before the librarian had the time to come around to give Elsa the application form, but the filling out part didn't take very long. Soon, they were on their way out again.

Anna edged nearer to the blonde. "Any plan after this?"

Elsa turned to the younger woman. "Let me help." She took a few books from Anna, and Anna let her.

"Thanks." Anna smiled sheepishly.

"I'm free now. For the rest of the day. I'm all yours." Elsa smiled down at the stacks of books in her arms.

Anna had to bite down her bottom lip to kill that stupid smile on her face. Reading seemed like a distant plan all of a sudden. She had something else in mind.

* * *

The books were left in Anna's car. It was sunny, and Anna thought that they should be enjoying the sun instead. Or, perhaps, she was the one in need to feel the warmth on her skin. She had been indoor too much for the past week.

Occupying a spot along the bridge, Anna and Elsa were each holding a cone of ice cream. They both went for chocolate flavor, Anna secretly noted. _Good start. At least, we have one thing in common. Oh, wait. That can't be good, right? If we really marry, she'd be fighting for the same shit I like._

Even as they were standing under the hot sun, Anna felt the cool breeze around her. Strangely, it seemed to happen whenever she was near Elsa. _Oh, weird, huh._ Shrugging to herself, Anna licked the ice cream, and sighed happily. The ice cream didn't even melt, and it was ninety degrees out!

"Judging by the speed of your consumption, you should have gotten two cones." Elsa teased.

Anna turned to her companion, and she found herself standing still in trance. It was that reluctant, shy smile again. Against the backdrop of the gorgeous, clear, sky, Elsa was too much to bear. "Nah, I'm fine. One is fine… yeah…" Anna forced herself to look away, staring out at the crowd on both sides of the bridge.

Many tourists, couples, parents and children were hanging out along the large bridge. Cars moved slowly through traffic, honking occasionally. It was annoying, but Anna surprisingly found refuge in the milling crowd. Nobody had recognized her so far. She trusted that her bodyguards were doing their job, not making their presence known. She never had to worry about them. She had gotten used to the fake privacy she had been living.

Along this teemed bridge, Anna actually felt for a moment that she was just a normal person, with an ordinary plan on a summer afternoon—a normal person on an unintended date. _With a total stranger._ As unwelcomed as it was, she grumbled at the thought. Nothing around her was 'normal' no matter how it looked. It now reminded her where she really was, and who was standing next to her. The truth was that she couldn't—didn't want to marry someone she didn't even know. The truth was that she had been trying so hard (again) to please her mother. Elsa had become the newest prize she wanted to win, so that she could win her mother's approval. If anything, after what she had read about the Pereira family, she felt sorry for Elsa. She felt sorry for herself, too. What a mess they were caught in.

"Thanks for taking me here." A hand on the metal rail, Elsa looked down at the river. "It's very beautiful. I've seen it on postcards and all, but nothing beats the real thing."

"Ha. No problem." But Anna stopped for a bit. "I thought that Joan must have taken you places the past week."

Leaning against the rail, Elsa finished her ice cream with a neutral expression. "I haven't seen her since that day at Alstad."

Anna's head shot up. She licked the ice cream fast, so that the movements of her lips and tongue would askew her growing smile. "Why not?" She tried not to sound too excited by the news.

"She offered, but I didn't want to bother her too much. Besides, I can google maps and go wherever I want by myself."

Anna faked a sulk. "Aww, you'd hurt Joan's feelings if she hears this." But, her smile wouldn't cooperate. It threatened to resurface, and now Anna just didn't care to hide it. She raised a brow in a tease. "But you're here with me."

Elsa licked the chocolate clean off her fingers. There wasn't the slightest hint of smile on her face as she said, "I'd like to get to know you better."

A pause. Anna didn't know what had stopped time, but it must have been those casual words. That careless stare from the piercing, cold gaze. And she wasn't sure how she should feel at the moment. All her reasons—her determinations flied out the window. It was that easy.

Anna had told Margaret that she did not want to marry because she was already in love with someone else. It was the right thing to do; it was the only way to save what she had with Kristoff. No one would endure a fake marriage for years, waiting for their partner to come around after it was all over. It just didn't work that way. So, Anna really believed that she had done the right thing, but those simple words from a mere stranger had such a peculiar effect on her. And, she hated it. She hated how it made her weak and insecure.

Anna turned to Elsa, their gazes locked. "I still don't know why you gave me that white crown of flowers. I don't know why you even bothered to think of me when you got that crown. You've been avoiding me for the past week. I know I'm not an early bird, or whatever, but you always left the mansion at four—five in the morning and came home after midnight. Really? What the hell have you been doing out there? Looking for a job? Who have you been seeing? You've been trying to avoid me. It couldn't have been anything else. But, now you want to get to know me? Enlighten me. Come on."

Elsa looked the other way, staring into the busy crowd. It almost threw Anna off that the blonde didn't seem to care that somehow Anna had been observing her time in and out of the mansion like some obsessive, crazy bitch.

"Why?" Anna repeated, her voice dry and shaky. Her right hand clung to the rail so hard that her knuckles went white.

"Aunty Margaret told me that you didn't want to go through with the marriage. I was just trying to respect your wish." Elsa turned to look at Anna. "What's your story?"

Anna trusted that her facial expression still remained neutral. "Right… yes, I told her that I'm already with someone. I—just know that he isn't going to like this, and he won't wait for me if I go through this marriage thing with you. You understand, right? I… I've got an important person." Anna let out a heavy sigh. She had no idea why a beautiful love could weigh so heavily on her now. "Don't you?"

Elsa raised her brows, her gaze indifferent all the same. "I supposed I did."

_What? A child who'd been locked up most of her life had someone?_ Anna looked up. "Are you kidding me?"

Elsa mildly shrugged. "But not anymore."

Anna scooted closer to the taller woman. "What is it? What happened?" She was clinging to Elsa's arm already, puppy eyes. Yes, she was thrilled to learn more about Elsa, but she wasn't sure if what excited her the most was the fact that Elsa was unattached.

Elsa laughed, shaking her head. "It was over long time ago."

"Ooh, come on! That can't be all," Anna pleaded, giddily like a child. But, behind her childlike enthusiasm, she noted how Elsa had allowed her grasp on her to remain. It was a new, fragile link between them. An unknown territory Anna had just waded in. In the turbulent current she found herself in, she wasn't sure how long she could hold on to her senses.

It took her a few moments before Elsa spoke again. "We first met when I was ten, and she was thirteen. It was purely innocent at first, but it changed ultimately… naturally."

'She' took Anna by surprise. It leant a little more on the positive side. Elsa had a female lover before, and the fact somehow eased away some of Anna's doubts and worries. Anna kept staring as the pink, full lips moved. In this hot air, she felt suffocated as she waited each second for Elsa to spill.

"I lived in an old mansion with a dozen maids, but I wasn't allowed to go out. As I'm older now, looking back, I'd say 'confinement' would be the right word for it."

Anna frowned. "What about your parents? Your other family members?"

"I lived with my parents until my mother died. Then, I was moved away. I never saw my father again." Elsa looked at the river below, her gaze cold.

"B—but at least you got the maids, right? Your life was comfortable?" Anna immediately shut up, both hands covering her mouth, realizing how careless the questions sounded.

"Yeah, they were kind to me. I guess they pitied me. My life was comfortable. My father made sure of it in his absence… But it all changed when he died."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked—" Anna muttered, but stopped midsentence at the soft touch against her cheek.

Elsa had reached out, and tucked the copper strands of hair behind Anna's ear. "It's all right. Sometimes it feels good that someone wants to listen. Thanks for asking."

Before Anna knew, she clutched Elsa's hand, maintaining their physical contact. She stared into Elsa's eyes, unabashed this time. It felt urgent—a forceful touch, yet the most natural thing she felt she had done in a while. No words of surprises came from either of them. In this moment of heavy silence and the small distance between them, they were practically staring at a mere stranger, touching, yet it felt perfectly natural.

Elsa eventually relaxed, and softly freed her hand from Anna's. She shifted a little in her post, taking a deep breath in as she recalled her childhood years. "Well, the gates were always closed except when the maids went out to get food supplies and whatnot. But… somehow she and her friends were able to sneak into the mansion that day. Her friends got scared and left, but she didn't." Elsa had this dreamy smile on her face, and the heaven look on her face took Anna's breath away. "We met by accident. After that, her visits became more frequent. It grew into something of a habit. An affair as we grew older. She found me, and I found bits and pieces of my soul in her. She was all I knew…, all I had."

It sounded like one of the most romantic love stories, but Anna found herself wasn't as thrilled as she had expected. She leaned back against the rail, arms across her chest, looking away. "Wow. So, she was your first love. A girl."

Elsa paused, glancing Anna's way.

"Ooooh, no. No. No. No, I didn't mean it that way. I'm perfectly fine with homosexualists. Arendelle is a free country for everyone—"

"_Homosexualists_?" Elsa laughed, and the huge, bright smile on her face rendered Anna speechless.

It took Anna a moment before she could compose herself again. Slowing down her crazy heartbeat, and stopping herself from jumping at the older woman. All had suddenly become such a tough task to accomplish.

"You're adorable," Elsa commented, chuckling.

_God. Kill. Me. Now. Why did I tell mom that I didn't want to marry her? Didn't they teach you not to lie? This is why you should never lie, because it always fucking backfires!_ Anna bit her bottom lip and made the most serious face she could, her brows coming together. "Okay, w—what then? What happened to her?"

Elsa sighed. "Her name was Raquel Almeida. _Almeida_, as in the drug syndicate that controls pretty much the whole of northeast region. My father controlled northwest, but the Almeida family was his most fearsome rival anyway. So, Raquel and I, we had to be… very careful. It wasn't as smooth as we wanted it to be." Elsa looked out at the river again, her gaze saddened. "They found out, and we were in trouble. So much trouble. Even after my father's death, they wouldn't let this go. I was hunted. I was in hiding for four years until your mother found me."

"Oh…" Anna's eyes widened, out of breath. "God. My God."

Elsa looked alarmed. She straightened up, holding Anna's by her elbow. "What's wrong? Are you all right?"

"It's like 'Romeo and Juliet'. That is so romantic, Elsa! Awwwww." Hands on her chest, Anna was truly in awe of Elsa's love story (the jealousy was taking the backseat the moment). Then, she frowned. "Wait. Oh, no, does that make me Tybalt? I'm Tybalt?"

Elsa laughed, throwing her head back. She eventually calmed herself down, her face still beaming. "You can't be serious, Anna. No offense, but I'd never imagined 'Anna Wilhelmsen' to be like… like…" Her words trailed off into a harmless chortle.

"Like what?" Anna gazed at the blonde curiously. "Come on. How did you imagine me?"

Elsa brushed her nose a bit. "Well, from what I usually see from the magazines, the news. All the glamour stuff. Parties. Celebrities. Divas. Lovers. And, more parties." Then, she moved closer to Anna, their proximity chaining Anna to the spot. "What about you? Now, it's your turn. Who is that prince charming who has stolen you away from me?"

Anna stared at the blissful smile on Elsa's face, and she just wasn't sure if Elsa was, in fact, the thief who had just stolen her from her prince charming. "He's my best friend. Just like Joan… It—it's Kristoff."

A look of surprise came across Elsa's face, but quickly disappeared as she nodded. "Ah, that man. He seemed kind."

"Yeah, you met him at the dinner. He's a great guy. We've been friends for… for like forever. It's like it's meant to be, seriously." Anna laughed, only it came out dry and unfunny. "He—he's the best thing that's ever happened to me," she added with a smug smile.

Elsa paused, seemingly caught in her thoughts. "That must be awkward for him. At the dinner, I mean."

Anna froze. A pang of guilt shot through her heart, having realized what she had put Kristoff through, how careless and selfish she had been, and that even a stranger like Elsa could feel it. "You're right. It turned out that he didn't take it well." She listened to herself, agreeing with it, yet she was standing here with the stranger, drawn by the inevitable force she had grown to despise.

Anna hadn't gone out much during the past week, and she had received only a few texts from Kristoff, which was highly unusual of him. But, all faults lied with her; she didn't even take the time to bother finding out what he had been up to. It took over a decade for them to get this far, but it was taking only a week for it to crumble. She wondered how strong the foundation of their relationship truly was. She had become tired of hurting and being hurt, and after all these years, she had finally believed that Kristoff was meant to be—the safest bet ever. But then 'Elsa' just had to happen in the most surprising and amusing way possible, confusing and clouding her judgment so easily.

"I hope that you could sort things out with him. I didn't mean to come between you two. Not my intention," Elsa said.

Anna looked away. She could only expect so much from Kristoff, when, in truth, she didn't even understand it herself. She should have stood up to her mother from the very start, and none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have locked herself in her room, reading and being thrilled by someone else's life like a neurotic zealot. She wouldn't have gone to the library, but instead enjoyed the endless parties. She would have been surfing, enjoying the waves of cool seawater against the strong sun. But, none of the goodness happened. Quite the opposite, really.

Anna sighed. "Listen, this is nothing personal, ok? I didn't want to go through this whole marriage thing, because I didn't want you to be just a mail-order bride. And I didn't want to be just a legal, invitation card for someone to stay in Arendelle."

"Of course, I understand that," Elsa said, nodding in reassurance.

Anna glanced up, staring into the blue eyes. _Shit. I'm in so, so deep fucking shit._ "Maybe… we could deal with this whole situation better. We could become something more."

A look of genuine confusion graced Elsa's delicate features. It was almost as if Elsa couldn't take any more surprises today.

"Have you decided on your wedding dress?" Anna casually asked. She herself was surprised that she could stay so calm when she realized the dangerous water she had decided to wade in.

It took Elsa a moment before she responded with a frown. "Excuse me?"

Anna now knew why her mother was so desperate to help Elsa, protecting the girl from Thiago's rival syndicate. "I want to help. We're getting married," Anna said, smiling proudly to herself.

Elsa stared blankly at the redhead.


End file.
